Spain’s PP Demands Sánchez Resign After Court Jails Former PSOE Aide

Spain’s Supreme Court on 30 June ordered the immediate, no-bail pre-trial detention of Santos Cerdán, the former secretary of organisation of the ruling Socialist Party (PSOE). Judge Leopoldo Puente said Cerdán played a leading role in an alleged corruption network—known as the ‘Caso Koldo’—that manipulated public-works contracts. The ex-deputy, regarded as a close confidant of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, will be held in Soto del Real prison while he is investigated on counts of organised crime, influence peddling and bribery.

The main opposition Partido Popular (PP) seized on the ruling to intensify its campaign against the government. PP secretary-general Cuca Gamarra said the decision represents a “qualitative leap” that places “sanchismo in prison without bail” and insisted Sánchez “must abandon La Moncloa immediately.” Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo echoed the call, arguing that if Cerdán has fallen judicially, Sánchez must do so politically.

While demanding a snap general election, the PP has stopped short of filing a motion of no-confidence, acknowledging it lacks the parliamentary numbers. Instead, it is pressuring the prime minister’s coalition partners to withdraw their support, saying the Supreme Court’s action shows the current administration is tainted by systemic corruption.